Association between cardiovascular health and perceived quality of life in ethnically diverse adults: insights from the Community of Mine study using the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7

Purpose: The association between cardiovascular health (CVH) with perceived quality of life (PQoL) and variations by sex and Hispanic ethnicity is not well understood.

Methods: This study included 583 participants (42% Hispanic, 56% female, mean age 59 years). Linear regression modeled the covariate-adjusted associations between CVH, using the combined 7 components of Life's Simple 7 (LS7; ideal and intermediate, compared to poor), and PQoL (total and physical, social, and cognitive health domains). For individual LS7 components, we assessed effect modification by sex and Hispanic ethnicity.

Results: Compared to individuals with poor CVH, those with intermediate (β [95% CI] = 0.22 [0.09, 0.35]) and ideal (β [95% CI] = 0.22 [0.08, 0.36]) CVH had higher overall PQoL. This effect was dominated by the physical PQoL domain. Of LS7 components, ideal body mass index (BMI) (β [95% CI] = 0.17 [0.03, 0.31]) and physical activity (β [95% CI] = 0.26 [0.12, 0.40]) were associated with overall PQoL. Ideal diet (β [95% CI] = 0.32 [0.08, 0.56]) and fasting plasma glucose (β [95% CI] = 0.32 [0.06, 0.58]) were associated with the physical PQoL domain. A higher PQoL score was associated with intermediate BMI in women, and physical PQoL was associated with smoking for women. A BMI*Hispanic interaction resulted in larger associations between intermediate/ideal BMI and physical PQoL in non-Hispanics.

Conclusion: Ideal or intermediate CVH health factors and health behaviors were associated with higher PQoL. Sex and ethnicity differences suggest that perceived quality of life is associated with BMI for women and non-Hispanics.